Category Archives: The Paris Wife

Tis’ the season to pick titles for the lit lovers in your life. Below is this week’s shopping list for those of you looking for great reads to put under the tree. For a little gift-giving on the side, each title below is linked to one of Michigan’s fabulous indie bookstores where you can order and support our literary arts right from your merry little home.

If you haven’t yet heard of Paula McLain’s new novel The Paris Wife then it’s time to tune in. The Paris Wife “brilliantly captures the voice and heart of Hadley Hemingway as she struggles with her roles as a woman – wife, lover, muse, friend, and mother – and tries to find her place in the intoxicating and tumultuous world of Paris in the twenties.”*

And I can vouch. McLain does indeed capture the voice of Ernest Hemingway’s wife, or most certainly a voice of the times. McLain’s language and tone easily transport to a bohemian Paris swirling with artists and poets both over and on the cusp of discovery.

Reading one good thing often leads to another, and the joys of connecting the never-ending literary dots is a pursuit of pleasure for the avid reader. The Paris Wife is a testament to this fact and is certain to spark interest in the diverse works that germinated in 1920’s Paris and continue to flourish today.

McLain’s book reintroduces some big-time literary players. Having only recently finished The Paris Wife, I’ve already sought out Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast as well as the works of Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound among others. Also, if you are looking for an historical follow-up piece for McLain’s work you might try Americans in Paris by Charles Glass, a deeply researched and highly detailed non-fiction work focusing on American expats living in Paris.

The Paris Wife site is a beauty, so even if you don’t care to read the book you should at least check out the photos of both the Hemingways and the landmarks of their life together. Also, I hate to veer away from solid sources, however, I did get snagged by Paula McLain’s bio spot on amazon, and her personal history is worth the link over. Very intriguing.

Paula McLain received her MFA in poetry from University of Michigan and has published two collections of poetry, a memoir and an earlier novel titled A Ticket to Ride. The Paris Wife was released just a few weeks ago.

McLain will add her name to an impressive list of authors who have appeared as part of the National Writers Series of Traverse City and will offer a talk and signing at the City Opera House on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 7:00 pm. More from NLR on this later…

-Support your local bookstores, libraries, and universities. It matters.

If you haven’t yet heard of Paula McLain’s new novel The Paris Wife then it’s time to tune in. The Paris Wife “brilliantly captures the voice and heart of Hadley Hemingway as she struggles with her roles as a woman – wife, lover, muse, friend, and mother – and tries to find her place in the intoxicating and tumultuous world of Paris in the twenties.”*

And I can vouch. McLain does indeed capture the voice of Ernest Hemingway’s wife, or most certainly a voice of the times. McLain’s language and tone easily transport to a bohemian Paris swirling with artists and poets both over and on the cusp of discovery.

Paula McLain received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan and has published two collections of poetry, a memoir and an earlier novel titled A Ticket to Ride. The Paris Wife was released just last week.

The Paris Wife site is a beauty, so even if you don’t care to read the book you should at least check out the photos of both the Hemingways and the landmarks of their life together. Also, I hate to veer away from solid sources but I did get snagged by Paula McLain’s bio spot on amazon and her personal history is worth the link over. Very intriguing.

Paula McLain has a few upcoming Michigan appearances on her calendar and she will be appearing at Borders in Ann Arbor for a reading and signing of The Paris Wife on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm. In addition, she will be at McLean & Eakin booksellers in Petosky for a talk and signing on Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 6:30 pm as part of their popular “Cabin Fever Series”.

Also, if you are interested in the National Writers Series of Traverse City, Paula McLain will be appearing for a talk and signing at the City Opera House on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 7:00 pm. More on this later…

Check back in with Night Light Revue for information on McLain’s other Michigan events and as always, call ahead to confirm dates and times.

-Support your local bookstores, libraries, and universities. It matters.